Why Drinking 8 Glasses Of Water Per Day Is A Myth – Dr. Berg Explains [81f3b8]
Post Time: 2025-07-29
Maintaining a healthy blood sugar range is crucial for overall well-being. The ideal range varies depending on age, health status, and other factors, but generally falls between 70-99 mg/dL after an overnight fast. When it comes to monitoring your blood sugar levels at home, using a glucometer or Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) can provide accurate readings.
Failing to maintain this range can lead to fluctuations in blood sugar, which may cause symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, and blurred vision. These spikes and dips in blood glucose levels are often caused by an imbalance of insulin production, medication use, stress, or sleep deprivation. Regular exercise has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and lower blood sugar levels.
Dietary Secrets for Blood Sugar Balance
When it comes to managing your diet for optimal blood sugar control, choosing the right foods can make all the difference. Foods high in fiber such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes are rich in complex carbohydrates that take longer to digest. This gradual release of glucose into the bloodstream helps maintain stable blood sugar levels.
On the other hand, consuming simple carbohydrates like white bread and sugary snacks can cause a rapid spike in blood sugar followed by an equally sharp crash. Other factors such as meal timing and portion sizes also play a role in managing your blood sugar range.
Exercise: A Key to Blood Sugar Regulation
Regular physical activity is not only essential for maintaining weight, but it's also crucial for regulating blood glucose levels. When we exercise, our muscles require more energy, which leads them to take up more glucose from the bloodstream. This increased demand allows insulin sensitivity to improve over time.
Incorporating moderate-intensity exercises like brisk walking or cycling into your daily routine can significantly lower HbA1c levels and reduce blood sugar spikes after meals. It's also essential to balance your exercise plan with adequate rest periods, as inadequate recovery may lead to fluctuations in cortisol production – a significant stress hormone that affects insulin resistance.
Stress Management: A Key Aspect of Blood Sugar Balance
When under prolonged stress, our body undergoes various physiological changes including increased levels of cortisol and adrenaline. While these hormones help us respond quickly to immediate threats, chronically elevated stress can impair glucose metabolism by reducing the responsiveness of cells to insulin – essentially rendering them resistant.
Regular relaxation techniques such as yoga or meditation have been shown to improve overall well-being while minimizing chronic stress-related metabolic issues like blood sugar dysregulation and weight gain. Proper time management, sufficient sleep duration (7-9 hours for adults), a healthy diet, and enjoyable leisure activities are some effective strategies to balance the demands of life.
Sleep – The Unsung Hero in Blood Sugar Regulation
It's well established that maintaining adequate sleep hygiene plays a critical role in regulating glucose metabolism by ensuring timely release of insulin. A single night without proper rest can lower our insulin sensitivity significantly enough to cause blood sugar elevations, while chronic sleep deprivation increases risk for developing metabolic conditions.
Therefore, fostering an atmosphere conducive to quality slumber – such as maintaining consistent bed and wake times, minimizing exposure to artificial lights or other distractions in the evenings before bedtime – should be a priority alongside dieting and exercise.
Does someone keep telling you to drink more water? Watch this first. DATA: "Adolph EF. The regulation of the water content of the human organism. J Physiol (London). 192155(1-2):114-32" "Vivanti AP. Origins for the estimations of water requirements in adults. Eur J Clin Nutr. 201266(12):1282-9." Timestamps 0:00 8 glasses of water a day myth 0:30 The common thought 0:47 Water myths 3:35 Hyponatremia 4:10 How much water I drink Today we're going to talk about the "8 glasses of water a day" myth. I'm going to go through the 5 lies about drinking more water. Many people were taught to drink 8 glasses of water per day. But do you really need to do this? Water myths: 1. 60% of the body is water—False 2. The body doesn't know when it's thirsty—False 3. Water flushes out fat—False 4. Water flushes out toxins—False 5. Water helps dry skin—False People that drink the most water are actually the most dehydrated because of the difference in electrolytes. Hyponatremia is a condition where you can get really sick or even die because of drinking too much water. I drink about 2-3 cups of water a day. Your body adjusts to maintain a natural balance. Just make sure only to drink when you're thirsty. Dr. Eric Berg DC Bio: Dr. Berg, age 57, is a chiropractor who specializes in Healthy Ketosis & Intermittent Fasting. He is the author of the best-selling book The Healthy Keto Plan, and is the Director of Dr. Berg Nutritionals. He no longer practices, but focuses on health education through social blood sugar 70 fasting media. Follow Me On Social Media: Facebook: Instagram: Anchor: TikTok: ABOUT DR. BERG: Disclaimer: Dr. Eric Berg received his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Palmer College of Chiropractic in 1988. His use of “doctor” or “Dr.” in relation to normal human blood sugar himself solely refers to that degree. Dr. Berg is a licensed chiropractor in Virginia, California, and Louisiana, but he no longer practices chiropractic in any state and does not see patients so he can focus on educating people as a full time activity, yet he maintains an active license. This video is for general informational purposes only. It should not be used to self-diagnose and it is not a substitute for a medical exam, cure, treatment, diagnosis, and prescription or recommendation. It does not normal blood sugar level after 12 hours fasting create a doctor-patient relationship between Dr. Berg and you. You should not make any change in your health regimen or diet before first consulting a physician and obtaining a medical exam, diagnosis, and recommendation. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Thanks for watching! Drinking 8 glasses of water per day may not actually be the best thing for your health. I hope this helps you better understand why.